AirAsia To Introduce Mobile Communications On Board
Air Asia has annunced that starting 2009, passengers will be allowed to use their mobile phones and BlackBerry-type devices to send and receive SMS text messages, emails, and to make and receive mobile phone calls during flight.
AirAsia’s entire fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft will be fitted with the OnAir equipment, including aircraft currently flying and those on order from Airbus. A total of 150 aircraft will be equipped by 2013. AirAsia X, the latest long haul low cost airline have also signed on similar agreement for a minimum of 15 firm order of Airbus A300-300.
I don’t know if this is a welcome development. Budget airlines normally fly short stretches (although Air Asia X flies long haul, too), and personally, I think I’d rather that passengers hold off their calls while on flight. It’s such a squeeze as it is, and though SMS and emails sound acceptable, I really don’t want to sit beside someone talking on his phone the whole flight.
2 Comments
I’m with you on that, Ruth. I’d rather not listen to any number of people talking on the phone during a flight.
Same here. I think personal conversations should stay out-of-earshot…. although I wouldn’t mind having some means of direct, quicker communications with the outside world on long flights; that was crucial with 9-11…